"Despite being one of the few growing segments of the digital camera market, mirrorless versions of interchangeable-lens cameras still don't get no respect. For one, there's a perception in some quarters that they don't produce the same image quality as dSLRs, even though they're nearly identical in all the ways that affect image quality. I also think there's a grip issue; for the most part, ILCs tend to sacrifice a decent grip for compactness and sleek design. Only the Sony NEX models offer a substantial grip, and I think that's a large factor in their popularity. Finally, because they're smaller and tend to be targeted at folks stepping up from point-and-shoots, we all expect at least the entry-level models to be cheaper than they are -- not the typical $500-plus at launch. Sony's Alpha ILCE-3000 (aka the Sony A3000) attempts to jump all these hurdles at once by stuffing one of its NEX cameras into a dSLR body and pricing it aggressively at $400 for the kit.

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Rather than shrinking one of its single-lens translucent (SLT) models the way Canon compressed a dSLR for the SL1 -- which likely would have resulted in a more expensive model -- Sony based a mirrorless dSLR-style body around its E-Mount lenses and NEX menu and control system. Overall, the idea makes a lot of sense. Once you drop the mirror, the biggest constraint to shrinkage becomes the lens mount. And on the surface (though not necessarily in practice), the NEX menu system looks a lot friendlier for the presumably novice buyer of this camera. It's telling that the closest price competitors for the A3000, like the Canon T3, are generally about two years old.

Nothing about the A3000 screams "premium," but nothing whispers "cheap," either. The trade-offs it makes: limited continuous shooting, no 1080/30p video, a small EVF, and a low-resolution LCD. But the price and the design really hit the sweet spot for the step-up buyer. And unlike petite dSLRs like the Canon SL1, Sony's use of the E-Mount system means smaller lenses, compared with the full-size EF-S lenses."

Here are some of its competitors: [click the link to see the comparison chart.]

"The 2-year-old T3 can't match it on any level, and the SL1 is relatively expensive, though it does have better specifications. It will be interesting to see how the A3000 performs, and for more-advanced users, if it's worth using the money saved on the body to pair it with a better lens."